October 17, 2024 – Calgary, Treaty 7 Territory, Alberta – Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)

Schools are often the cornerstone of First Nations communities, providing students with a safe place to learn and grow and acting as a gathering place for community events and cultural activities. Chief Troy Knowlton, Piikani Nation leadership, along with Indigenous Services Canada Minister, the Honourable Patty Hajdu and the Peigan Board of Education Society announced today the new and enhanced education facilities at Piikani Nation so that youth have the tools they need to learn.

Minister Hajdu and community leaders announced funding today for the new school to be built in the First Nation. This new school will be a place for 600 students from kindergarten to grade 12 to learn, grow and form connections. 

The existing school was initially constructed over 60 years ago, and parts of the aging facility are no longer suitable for repair. This project reaffirms the ongoing work of the Government of Canada to support essential infrastructure in Indigenous communities and to ensure that all children on reserve have access to high-quality, culturally appropriate education.

With an investment from Indigenous Services Canada, the new school will allow students who attend school off reserve to access education that is culturally appropriate, with distinctly Blackfoot programs, and provides spaces that better meet the needs of the community and its youth.